The recent commercialization of the flat conductor cable (FCC) system for distribution of electrical power beneath carpet tiles has given rise to the need for companion systems for transmission of signals as between digital consoles and accessory data processing equipment. In a companion patent application, Ser. No. 06/213,311, filed on even date herewith and commonly assigned, applicant discloses a type of coaxial cable assembly suited for the undercarpet environment and comprised of a resilient protective body releasably enclosing a coaxial cable subassembly having a center conductor, annular electrical insulation thereabout, a drain wire and an outer conductive sheath. The existence of such cable assembly gives rise to the further need for ready termination thereof, i.e., the expeditious making of electrical connections to the center conductor and drain wire thereof.
Particularly desired aspects of ready termination, from applicant's viewpoint, are insulation-piercing connection to the center conductor, gas-tight connection to both the center conductor and the drain wire, and strain relief for the connections, by application of retentive force to the cable assembly spacedly of the connection locations. Preferably, all such ready termination aspects should be provided jointly in the course of cable assembly termination. While prior art efforts are known in which coaxial cable is terminated through insulation-piercing, no connector structure has been proposed which provides for the occurrence of applicant's desired connector performance aspects.